Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 679,774. Patented Aug. 6, |9o|.

E. M. MCNAMARA & J. D. onElLLY,

` `ACETYLENEGAS GENERATOR.

(Applicaton filed Sept. 2, 1899.)

(No new.)

lll/11111070111/1111/lll/11111111111@ l l q Ng' M me nomme Pneus ou..mommc., wAsHlNuTbN. u, cV

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DWARD M. MCNAMARA AND JAMES D. OREILLY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,774, dated August6, 1901.

Application filed September 2, 1899. Serial Nor 729,366. (Nonncdel.)

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD M. MCNA- MARA and JAMES D. OREILLY, citizensof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAcetylene Generators and Lamps for Bicycles; 4and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

The present invention relates to an acetylene-gas generator and burnerfor bicycles.

The object of the present improvement is to provide a simple, light, andefficient construction of. the acetylene-gasv generator in which theWater and calcium carbid are contained Within the cavity of thehandle-bar and means are provided for the convenient regulation of thefeed of the Water to calcium-carbid chamber, as well as to convenientlyregulate the iow of gas to the lampburner, as also to automatically cutoff the outlet of gas when the lamp is detached, all as will hereinaftermore fully appear. We attain such object by the construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which-Figure 1 is a plan view of a bicycle handlebar, with parts broken awayand in section, illustrating the general arrangement of the presentinvention; Fig. 2, an enlarged transverse sectional elevation at line.fr as, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged -detail section of one grip end ofthe handle-bar, illustrating one form of Water-supply-controlling valveand the closure-cap for the end orifice of the handlebarv chamber; Fig.4, a detail side elevation of the same; Fig. 5, a fragmentary section ofa modified arrangement of the water-supplycontrolling valve.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the bicycle handle-bar, of anyusual form and construction, and which in the present invention willhave its interior divided into two chambers 2 and 3, the oneconstituting a water receptacle or holder and the other a gasgeneratingchamber containing the charge of calcium carbid used in the productionof the supply of acetylene gas, and which carbid in the presentinvention will be contained in turn in a porous bag 4 of an elongatednature, that is adapted to fill the elongated generating-chamber 3 ofthe present invention. Such provision affords a ready and veryconvenient means for introducing a fresh charge of carbid into thegenerating-chamber, as well as the ready and convenient removal of thespent charge of such carbid.

The outer end of the generating-chamber in the handle-bar is of an openformation and v of the same or substantially the same diameter as thatof other portions of such chamber,

` so that no obstruction will be offered to the introduction of the sackof carbid, and with a View to provide a simple and efcient closure forsuch entrance-orifice to the generating-chamber one part of the presentinvention involves a closing means consisting of a plug 5, adapted toaccurately fit such entrance-orifice to the generating-chamber andhaving fixed pivotal connection with a Wire or other bail 6, that is inturn pivoted to the lever-bail 7, in turn pivoted to the end portion ofthe handle-bar, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, so that with the onemovement of said lever-bail 7 the closure-plug 5 will be firmly drawnagainst the end of the generating-chamber to eect a perfect closure ofthe entrance-orifice to such chamber, While' With the other movement ofsaid lever-bail 7 the closure-plug 5 will be forced away from saidentrance-orifice of the generating-chamber to afford free andeasy'access to the same.

8 is a strainer near the inner end of the generating-chamber to excludesolid impurities from the innermost or gas containing portion of saidchamber.

9 is the gas-outlet orifice from the generating-chamber,which in theconstruction shown in Fig. 2 is provided With an inwardly-openingcheck-valve 10, the stem of which projects outside the wall of thehandle-bar, so that in the attachment of the bracket 11 of theacetylene-gas lamp 12 in place the said check-valve 10 will be xedinwardly in an automatic manner, as indicated in Fig. 2, to permit theegress of the gas from the generating-chamber into the burner-passage ofthe lamp.

The water-chamber 2 of the handle -bar IOO will have an open outer endclosed by a plug 13, as'illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 11, and said plugwill have bail connection 14 and leverbail connection 15, similar tothat above described in connection with the closure-plug 6 of thegas-generating chamber 3.

16 is a conducting-pipe extending from the lowermost portion of theWater-chamber 2 to the middle or other suitable portion of thegenerating-chamber. Figs. 1 and 3 are intended to represent a handle-barof the drop type, in which the outer and free ends are the lowestportions thereof, and consequently the conducting-pipe 16 will extend toone of such ends and in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3 willconnect with a lug 17, forming the seat of the needle-valve 18, that iscarried by anotherlug 19 and is provided with a flattened or noncircular head, as shown.

2O is an operating-key journaled in the closure-plug 13 and having aninner slotted head 21, that when the closure-plug 13 is in a closedcondition will engage the non-circular head of the needle-valve 18 toform an operating connectionbetween the two and aord means for operatingsaid valve in a ready and convenient manner, and thus enable thewater-feed from the water-supply chamber 2 to the generating-chamber 3to be regulated and adjusted to meet any particular requirement met within the ordinary use of the present invention.

2 is a valved nipple in the closure-plug 13, adapted for attachment ofan air-pump in introducing the requisite amount of compressed air intothe water-chamber 2 to feed the water therefrom into thegeneratingchamber against the usual and normal pressure of gas withinsuch generating-chamber.

In cases where the handle-bar of the bicycle is of a raised formationthe portion of the water-chamber 2 next adjacent to thedividing-partition 23 will be the lowestvpointof such water-chamber, andconsequently' the water-supply controlling-valve 18 will in that case bearranged directly in such partition and will be provided with a suitableoperative connection, extending to the exterior of the handle-bar, bywhich the valve can be manipulated and adjusted.

In some cases either the handle-bar stem or the fork-stem may be used asone or a part of one of its chambers before described as occupying thetubular cavity of the handle-bar.

I-Iaving thus fully described our said invention, what we claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character specified, thecombination with a hollowbicycle handle-bar provided with partitions dividing it into separatedwater and carbid containing chambers with a gas-receiving chamber1ocated between the water and carbid chambers into which the gas isdischarged, the waterchamber having an open end, a closure-plug for theopen end of the water-chamber, means provided with a projecting handlefor regulating the 110W of water from the Water-chamber to thecarbid-chamber, and an acetylenelamp and' its burner carried by thegas-receiving chamber between the water and` carbid containing chambers.

2. The combination with an acetylene-lam p and its burner, of a hollowbicycle handlebar and its immediate attachments, provided withpartitions forming separated water and carbid containing chambers, and agas-chamber between them, a gas-outlet in the wall of said chamber towhich the lamp is adapted to be connected, the water-chamber having anopen end, a connection from the carbidchamber Vto the lamp-burner,aclosure-plug for the open end of the water-chamber, a {illing of carbidinclosed within an elongated sack, and adapted for readyinsertion andremoval from the carbid-chamber, and means for regulating the flow ofwater from the water-supply chambers to the carbid-containing chamber,substantially as set forth.

3. In an acetylene-gas generator for bicycles as herein described, thecombination with the gas-outlet orifice of an inwardly-openingcheck-valve having an outwardly-projecting stem that is adapted to beforced inward to open the valve, when the lamp is attached in place,substantially as set forth.

4. In an acetylene-gas generator for bicycles, the combination of ahollow handle-bar, partitions dividing said handle-bar into separatedwater and carbid chambers, a gaschamber in communication with thecarbidchamber, a gas-outlet in the wall of said gaschamber, acheck-valve normally closing the gas-outlet, and means to unseat thevalve when the lamp is put in place.

5. In an acetylene-gas generator for bicycles the combination of ahollow handle-bar, partitions dividing said handle-bar into separatedwater, carbid, and gas chambers, the lat-ter being located betweenthe-water and carbid chambers, a filling of carbid inclosed within anelongated sack for ready insertion and removal with relation to thecarbid-chamber, means for connecting the water and carbid chambers topermit a iiow of water from the former to the latter, the partitionbetween the carbid and gas chambers being provided with perforations topermit the ready flow of gas into the gas-chamber j and yet prevent`solid material from passing thereinto, a lamp and a valved connectionbetween the lamp and gas-chamber.

In testimony whereof witness our hands this 31st day of August, 1899.

` EDWARD M. MCNAMARA.

JAS. D. OREILLY. In presence of- ROBERT BURNS, JAMES LAVALLIN.

ICD

IIO

